andsoapsandhomeschoolsandpaintsand…

All kinds o’ fun here . . . Part I

Yesterday was Tim’s first track meet. Heck, it was my first track meet. I only found the field because a sign pointed us to field house and after a lifetime of Olympics’ watching I recognized “Field House” as a track word. Tim did really well – his inexperience showed, but he held his own in the long jump, the 100 M, the 100 M hurdles and the 400 M races.

There were so many things I loved about the meet. There were about six other schools competing and the range was amazing. Our high school sits in the middle as far as resources go. The school where the meet was held was as close to a really awesome private school’s facilities as a public school can get – it was spectacular. The other teams came from the poorest districts and some of the richest. It’s fascinating to me how talent knows no limits. If you’re good, you’re good.

The other thing I really loved and, perhaps one of things I think can be lost when homeschooling your kids, was seeing a very large group of teenagers who are all focused on something positive and doing something meaningful. While I don’t have girls, I was so thrilled to see the girls on the field. They were all beautiful in their own way and they all carried themselves with such confidence that had nothing to do with their clothing or their makeup or their hair or their boyfriends. It was wonderful.

I shall feel envious of track when I sit in a crowded indoor pool for the last (YAY!!!) swim meet. But I do love that all those girls are marching around in bathing suits, not at all concerned about how they look in them. A refreshing change. And one of the coaches–he's just out of high school, I think–routinely wears a giant fleece blanket sleeper to meets.